4.0
The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen
ByPublisher Description
*COMING IN FEBRUARY 2026! The second book the series: The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen*
“Wonderful . . . A cozy, emotional gem . . . Each chapter is a quiet, healing moment, filled with food, memory and the comfort of cats.” —The Seattle Times
Your table awaits at the Chibineko Kitchen, where a soul-nourishing meal in the company of the resident kitten will transport you back in time to reunite with departed loved ones—for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Midnight Library, and Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away.
In a remote seaside town outside of Tokyo, Kotoko makes her way along a seashell path, lured by whispers of an enigmatic restaurant whose kagezen, or traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones, promise a reunion with the departed. When a gust of wind lifts off her hat, she sees running after it a young man who looks like her recently deceased brother. But it’s not her brother; it’s Kai, the restaurant’s young chef, who returns her hat and brings her to the tiny establishment, where he introduces her to Chibi, the resident kitten, and serves her steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice, and miso soup—the exact meal her brother used to cook for her. As she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent, the air grows hazy, and Kotoko begins a magical journey of last chances and new beginnings.
Menu
Namero-don: Seasoned minced fish served on rice
Easy omelette sandwich
Umebishio: Pickled-plum jam
Sukiyaki-don: Beef hotpot, served over rice
“Wonderful . . . A cozy, emotional gem . . . Each chapter is a quiet, healing moment, filled with food, memory and the comfort of cats.” —The Seattle Times
Your table awaits at the Chibineko Kitchen, where a soul-nourishing meal in the company of the resident kitten will transport you back in time to reunite with departed loved ones—for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Midnight Library, and Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away.
In a remote seaside town outside of Tokyo, Kotoko makes her way along a seashell path, lured by whispers of an enigmatic restaurant whose kagezen, or traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones, promise a reunion with the departed. When a gust of wind lifts off her hat, she sees running after it a young man who looks like her recently deceased brother. But it’s not her brother; it’s Kai, the restaurant’s young chef, who returns her hat and brings her to the tiny establishment, where he introduces her to Chibi, the resident kitten, and serves her steaming bowls of simmered fish, rice, and miso soup—the exact meal her brother used to cook for her. As she takes her first delicious bite, the gulls outside fall silent, the air grows hazy, and Kotoko begins a magical journey of last chances and new beginnings.
Menu
Namero-don: Seasoned minced fish served on rice
Easy omelette sandwich
Umebishio: Pickled-plum jam
Sukiyaki-don: Beef hotpot, served over rice
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen Reviews
4.0
“What a beautiful book!!! And having the recipes makes it so extra special
I saved 2 that o really want to try and make and will deffo be looking to try them on our Japan trip 🇯🇵🐈🍚🥢”
“Small warm story”
About Yuta Takahashi
Yuta Takahashi is the award-winning author of the eight-book series Meals to Remember at the Chibineko Kitchen as well as several other popular series spanning historical and contemporary fiction. He was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and now lives in Tokyo.
Cat Anderson (translator) has won the Japanese Literature Publishing Project's International Translation Competition and is the translator of The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada.
Cat Anderson (translator) has won the Japanese Literature Publishing Project's International Translation Competition and is the translator of The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada.
Other books by Yuta Takahashi
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